A Spire of Flame
by Vinely26
Summary: A wide cast of characters from all over gaming history wake up on a Strange Planet that none of them recognize... A mysterious and hidden force lurks in the shadows; each and every move of the enemy seems calculated... This is an adventure that will pit ally against ally, and make these characters question everything and anything... Step into the Spire of Flame.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

 _In an unknown universe, two interstellar travelers come upon a strange and diverse planet just as their ship runs out of fuel…_

"What do you mean we're out of parachutes?" Captain Toad asked, his blood pumping ever faster as Toadette frantically searched through the control console.

"Oh Toad, what are we going to do?" She exclaimed, running to embrace the Captain. Toad rubbed his temples, and paced back and forth.

"We don't have enough starbit fuel to get out of orbit, and the planet's gravity is pulling us in! On top of all that, we don't have a parachute?" Just as the Captain's freak-out was over, their Starshroom suddenly rocked them both to the floor. Without any input from the pilots, the ship started moving exceedingly quicker towards the planet's surface. Captain Toad jumped into his seat, and strapped on his seatbelt. Toadette followed suit.

"This is gonna be one crazy ride." She muttered under her breath.

"We're going in for a crash landing! This is gonna be rough!" Captain Toad screamed, taking hold of the steering wheel, trying to wrestle it into submission. Toadette closed her eyes, and wished for this to all be just a dream. Her curiosity got the better of her. She peeked through the fear, and she saw puffy white clouds soaring past them. On the surface of the planet, an endless jungle populated by lush green canopies of verdant splendor. The ideal place to land would be water, but they weren't exactly at liberty to hold a variety of options.

"We're not gonna make it if we can't touch down in water!" Toad shrieked as he attempted to steer the plummeting Starshroom. Toadette hurriedly scanned the landscape, hoping for a small oasis to cushion their fall. Her pupils dilate in pure ecstasy as she sees it.

"There! Near the big tree! Land there, Toad!" Toadette notified as the Captain yanked the wheel to aim for the small lake. They were coming in hot, but they just might make it.

"3…" The automated voice of the ship starts. "2…" Toadette and Toad looked into each other's eyes. "1…" They both brace for impact. "Touchdown."

A spectacular explosion of fire and water rises out over the trees. Though the lake was small and barely full, it provided just the right amount of protection. The smoking and ruined Starshroom sat destroyed at the bottom of the empty scorched lake. Toad and Toadette lay unconscious. Unbeknownst to the sleeping explorers, the trees rustle near the crater where the water used to be. Watchful eyes peered through the brush, observing the Toads.

5 HOURS LATER…

Captain Toad put his hand on his forehead. He probably sustained a few scratches, but they survived. He looked around, but he didn't see Toadette. Getting up, he grabbed the fire flower from the emergency box: can't be too careful. Toad stepped out of the broken Starshroom, and surveyed the area. It was a heavily wooded rainforest with vines hanging from each and every branch. Most of the paths surrounding the oasis were too densely packed with trees to traverse, but there was one trail that was clear enough to go down. Toadette must have followed it, but why wouldn't she wake him up?

Cautiously, Captain Toad tiptoed down the path. Could something have happened to Toadette? It wasn't very likely that she would act so carelessly, and explore this strange place by herself. A sudden rumble shook the earth. He pulled out the fire flower, and prepared for a fight.

A grey blur stampeded across the path from the treeline. It didn't stop, and neither did it respond to his presence. He barely had time to recognize it existing, much less identify it. Though its negligence of him was comforting, it didn't put the Captain at ease. Leaves shook and branches rustled from where the beast had previously emerged. Toad equipped the fire flower, and his clothes turned white and red. From the forest came a small monkey with a red hat and shirt flinging itself through the trees. Toad took his chance to take out the presumed enemy, and let fly a fireball. The flaming projectile hit its mark, and, with a primatial shriek, he crippled the creature. It hit the forest floor with a thud.

Toad moved to inspect the felled monkey when a great ape revealed himself from the thick jungle. The Captain froze. The fierce animal was dressed in a large red tie with the distinct initials: 'DK' in big yellow letters. The ape took one look at the unconscious monkey, and another look at Captain Toad, whose fire power-up was just running out. The ape roared, and Toad's legs collapsed into jelly. The animal ran at the Captain, and then it all went dark.

NOT TOO MUCH TIME LATER…

How many times could he get knocked out in one day? Toad awoke again being carried under the arm of a very smelly ape. He coughed, and it alerted the primate. It didn't drop him, and it just continued walking. The monkey Captain Toad had dispatched of was under the other arm of the ape. Through the humidity and the lush grasses they traveled. Soon they came upon a wooden ladder that took them up into a tree house. The monkey was laid in a bed, and Toad was thrown in a cage. His prison was picked up by the ape, and brought before the elder of the primates. A wise old monkey with glasses sat in a rocking chair, very grumpy to be interrupted from his afternoon activity.

"Donkey Kong, you dolt! Why have you brought me this ordinary mushroom? This is the second time today with this mushroom business!" The cranky old ape lambasted the big dumb beast. Donkey Kong scratched his head, and then pointed to Captain Toad's headlamp and his backpack. The old ape shook his head.

"I'm not a mushroom! I'm a person!" Toad exclaimed, his pride slightly damaged by being assumed a piece of vegetation. Cranky was shocked.

"What in tarnation?" The old kong wondered aloud. "Donkey, son, where on earth did you find this… well what do you call yourself, little guy?" Cranky asked.

"I'm Captain Toad of Toad Brigade, but people who know me just call me Toad." The Captain clarified. "Have you seen my friend Toadette?" Cranky Kong thought for a moment.

"Oh dear…" Cranky Kong realized.

"What's the matter?" Toad asked. Donkey Kong sheepishly grinned, pretending not to be responsible for the situation.

"Oh, Donkey Kong, you big ol' dummy! That mushroom Rambi got away with must have been his friend!" Cranky yelled, knocking the younger yet larger Kong on the head with his cane. "Did you see that rambunctious Rhino by any chance?" Toad thought for a moment, and then remembered back to before he got knocked out for the second time. That grey blur…

"I do recall something running by me, is that the Rhino you're talking about?" Toad replied. Cranky nodded. He got out of his rocking chair, and pushed Donkey Kong aside as he hobbled over to the cage. He sprung the lock, and opened the top. Captain Toad climbed out.

"I'm very sorry for that, Mr. Captain Toad! This big lummox will accompany you to do what he and Diddy were supposed to do: find that Rambi and retrieve that mushroo- er… Frog...ette?" Cranky stumbled over his words, an obviously a sign of immense age.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry about hurting that younger monkey…" Toad apologized.

"Not a problem! Diddy can take more of a whoopin' than that! He wouldn't be my grandson if that would expire 'im! Heh heh heh…" Cranky trailed off again. "Anyway! Get a move on! Diddy usually keeps this big brute in line, but you're gonna need to use that smart brain of yours! Rambi doesn't usually act this crazy, maybe something is wrong. Go find Rambi, and get your friend!"

Toad thanked Cranky for his, thanks to Donkey Kong, forced hospitality, and set off into the jungle to find Toadette; oh, and that Rhino. Bambi? Whatever, Toadette was the main objective, and maybe he could figure out a way off this unfamiliar world… For the time being: he and his new companion had to begin their search.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

 _Among the breezy fields of… Central Hyrule? Akkala? Hateno? Where was he?_

Link removed his Sheikah Slate from his eyes, and he drew an arrow from his quiver. A giant robot called a Guardian stalked the grassy fields, and he felt it his duty to dispose of it. The blue of his tunic wasn't exactly the ideal camouflage, but it would have to do. He placed his two fingers in between his lips, and whistled.

The Guardian was alerted, and began slinking its spidery metal legs over to the source of the commotion. Link looked up from his cover, and saw the mechanized monster heading straight for him. He ducked into the shrubs he was hiding in, and readied the arrow into his bow.

 _Come on…_ He thought, sweat on his brow. _Just a little closer…_ He worked up the courage, and then leapt from the bushes. The arrow flew straight into the eye of the Guardian. It let out an automated bellow as it was blinded. It careened towards him, letting its arms crash all around. Link jumped out of the way, and unsheathed his sword. Steel clashed against steel as he chopped at its appendage. The beast born of iron moaned in artificial pain as its arm was dismembered from the body. Oil and grease spurted from the open wound onto Link's face as he ran directly under the Guardian. With a calculated final blow, he thrusted his blade into the metal heart of the automaton.

Just as he slew the monster, he felt vibrations in the hilt of his sword. It came not from the weapon itself or from the dying Guardian, but from an outside force. The swordsman wouldn't know it, but it was the rumblings of a _motor._

"Hey, you!" A sharp and uninviting voice barked. "Yeah, that's right, I see you under there! Come on out!" Link pulled his sword out of the Guardian's underbelly, and stepped out into the open. A strangely dressed birdman stood pointing a gun at him. At first, Link assumed he was a Rito, but his foreign clothing and weaponry suggested otherwise. A spaceship of sorts landed on the plains nearby, further implying this creature was not of the northern Rito tribes. Link sheathed his sword, and the bird shot a laser on the ground in front of Link. The swordsman was briefly startled.

"Was that necessary?" Link asked flatly.

"Did you do this?" The bird questioned, ignoring the Hylian. The birdman gestured to the destroyed machine. Link nodded, silently proud of his work to protect the land from their mechanical treachery. "Now… don't make any sudden movements!" The Guardian-slayer proceeded to not make any sudden movements.

The birdman kept the gun loosely trained on Link's head as he began rummaging through parts of the Guardian. Link's ear twitched when, off in the distance, he heard… galloping? He knew of no horses in these parts. Then again, he wasn't quite sure where he was. Link turned his head to see a grey horned creature with a pink mushroom on its back rampaging down a nearby hill. The Hylian thought it best for his health to abstain from notifying the birdman, who was clearly too absorbed in his scavenging to be bothered with any stampeding beasts. Then, the birdman, practically having given up on threatening Link, turned towards the source of the galloping sound.

"What in the…" The birdman remarked. The horned beast approached them, and the pink mushroom proved to be a being of some sort? Link didn't know, for he'd never encountered a creature like either of these before. The pink mushroom was waving its arms, and almost acting as though it was trying to warn them of something.

"Big scary metal spiders! Coming this way! Run!" The pink mushroom screeched from a distance. Link drew an arrow from his quiver, and slung it into his bow. The birdman, at first, was confused, but soon figured out what the pink mushroom meant: reinforcements of Guardians.

"Falco." The birdman told him as he pointed his gun towards the hilltop. Link gave him an estranged glance.

"Excuse me?" The Hylian asked. Perhaps they didn't speak entirely the same language…

"Falco Lombardi's the name." He said. "Just in case we both die. I'd rather croak in the company of a friend- or at least someone who knows my name." Link nodded, though he knew they wouldn't both die- not the swordsman anyway. This Falco seemed a bit aloof.

Two Guardians stormed over the hill, kicking up dirt and stones. The horned beast ran for its life, the pink mushroom barely holding on. Link and Falco stood steadfast against the oncoming enemies, but there it was again. The rumbling of a _motor._

A second spaceship, much like Falco's, flew in from behind them. It spun like a top, delivering blasts of energy in rapid succession. The attacking ship devastated one of the Guardians, and damaged the other; though the other still stood. Link fired his last arrow at the Guardian, but he missed the eye. Desperate, he took out his Sheikah Slate, and froze the monster in time with the stasis rune.

"Fire away, birdman!" Link shouted. Falco was stunned by the seemingly endless power of the swordsman, but although he didn't usually take orders from anyone, he followed through and shot the Guardian. Three or four energy bolts was all that was needed to knock it back into the hill. Link ran at it, and unsheathed his sword. He jumped on it, and stabbed it in the eye. The machine was none the wiser when it was finally put out of commission.

The spaceship landed, and out jumped a fox dressed similarly to Falco. He extended his… paw… to Link.

"Greetings, Fox McCloud." The foxman said. Falco could be confused for a Rito, but this one was more perplexing. Falco walked over to Fox.

"Any word from the rest of Star Fox?" Falco asked, tapping his foot and crossing his arms.

"Not a peep. Any luck with the fuel supplements?" Fox redirected the questioning. Falco shrugged.

"Maybe we can use something from these spider things?" Falco suggested.

"Unlikely." Link commented. Both of the animal-people looked over at the swordsman.

"And why not, hotshot?" Falco asked.

"These machines weren't crafted of natural materials." Link answered. Falco rolled his eyes.

"Well… in any case, we should get out of the open. We're sitting ducks out here. Salvage what you can, Falco, and then we can get off this planet." Fox instructed.

"Taking a lot of orders today…" Falco grumbled as he continued to rummage through the Guardian scraps.

Link began to walk away, but Fox called out to him.

"Hey! That was pretty impressive out there. Ever think of joining a group to do some good in the galaxy?" Fox asked. Link snickered, and turned to face the foxman.

"I've got stuff to do, but I'll consider it." Link mused. Fox tossed him a communicator.

"If you ever get yourself in a cinch like that again, just call us up!" Fox offered. Link thanked him, and continued his adventure. Though, now that he clearly wasn't in Hyrule, he was very confused as to where he was… it was about time to start investigating.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

 _Pillars of fire erupt from the depths…_

 _The earth shakes with anger and tumult..._

 _A moustache twitch, and a hint of green…_

"Aah!" Luigi screeched. It was a bad dream. Though it seemed that the dream wasn't over. "Ohhhhh nooooo…" He moaned in fear. It appeared that he was in the middle of a misty graveyard! It seemed to get worse when he was left in this dark and spooky place without even a flashlight to defend himself. His jello-like legs brought him up to his feet, and thus he was reluctantly ready for a journey.

Upon a further inspection of his surroundings, he surmised that he was atop a tower of graves. Though these graves had names of the most unusual kind. "Buttons" "Babbers" and "Bulbasaur" just to name a few. It seemed like they were names of pets rather than people.

 _Is this some sort of animal cemetery?_ Luigi wondered internally.

 _Actually, they're called Pokémon._ Another voice inside Luigi's head informed. Luigi jumped back, and swiveled his head in a hundred different directions trying to locate the source of the voice.

"He-hello?" Luigi stuttered aloud. "Maaaario?" He guessed, hoping it was his brother playing tricks again.

 _Luigi is your name? That would explain the L on your cap. Good thing it doesn't stand for loser…_ The mysterious voice in Luigi's head remarked. Luigi scampered back to a quiet hiding spot behind one of the headstones. He shivered, and waited for the scary voice to pass him by. _Come now, you shouldn't be afraid. You should fear that Ghastly in front of you though…_

Luigi opened his eyes to see a ball of gas float up from the grave in front of him. He curled up in a ball, and hoped it would disappear. The ball of gas grew eyes and a mouth, and shrieked a horrible shriek. Luigi thought he was done for until a flash of blue light sent the Ghastly flying off the tower. The plumber huffed a sigh of relief, and stood up. A black and blue dog-like creature was standing there, lighting the way with his deep blue flames coming from his hands.

 _My name is Lucario. I have come here to Pokémon Tower to inspect a disturbance I felt the other day. If you wish to, you may come with me._ Lucario told him, telepathically communicating. Luigi was severely confused, but this dog thing saved him from that ghost… Luigi put aside his doubts, and followed Lucario.

"Where am I?" The mustachioed man pondered. Lucario shook his head.

 _I also have lost memory of where I reside._ Lucario said. The two travelled down the stairs to the next floor down. _My aura led me here. I have memory of this place, but it is not where it originally was. I believe a force has rearranged my world, and possibly yours._ The intelligent Pokémon elaborated. Luigi scratched his head. He didn't quite understand what the dog thing meant. The pair descended the next few levels when they abruptly heard footsteps.

"Waah!" Luigi exclaimed, diving for cover. Lucario stared the danger head on, and followed the disturbance. Suddenly, a small red and white ball hit the aura Pokémon on the nose. He promptly transformed into red light, and got beamed into the ball. Luigi panicked. His only friend in this frightening place just got his soul sucked right up! The ball that Lucario got trapped in bounced back to a young boy wearing a hat.

"Nice!" The boy said, congratulating himself. "I finally caught a Lucario! Those things are so rare!" Luigi, knowing he had to face this foe, stepped out to save his friend.

"Gi-gi-gi-give him back!" Luigi shook in his boots as he put his fists up to challenge the boy.

"Oh wow! I don't even know what that is! And it talks! Looks like it's time for a battle!" He said, still largely speaking only to himself. Luigi took a deep breath, trying to collect himself.

 _Come on, Luigi, you can do this. He's just a ten year old kid…_ He tried mentally hyping himself up, but it was no use.

"Go Bulbasaur!" The boy yelled as he tossed another ball. Though this time, a small creature came out of it rather than catching Luigi. It had the body of a dinosaur, viney tendrils, and a large plant bulb on its small green back. Luigi recognized its name as the one on the gravestone from earlier, and immediately assumed it was another ghost. The Mario Bro. frantically patted his pockets, hoping to feel the sweet sensation of a power-up between his fingers. His eyes lit up when he located the outline of a fire flower in his back pocket. He tossed it out, and grabbed it. Luigi's clothes turned white and green, and he felt as though he was filled with a fiery energy.

"Waaaah-hooo!" The Bro. exclaimed with glee. A barrage of discoloured fireballs slammed into Bulbasaur's solid head. The Pokémon wheezed in dismay, as the move was super effective.

"Jeez! This one is strong! Bulbasaur, come back!" The despondent grass type was barely moving when it was beamed up into the pokéball. "Go Squirtle!" A small blue koopa came out of the ball this time. "Squirtle, use tackle!" Squirtle charged at the plumber, and Luigi fired away. The flaming projectiles did little to stop the determined Pokémon, and the blue koopa-like creature made contact. Luigi got knocked back quite a ways, and his fire flower wore off.

"Ohhhhhh." Luigi lamented, seeing stars from the blow. He sat down out of necessity, telegraphing his surrender.

"Yes! Now's time to catch it!" The boy reached in his bag, and pulled out an empty pokéball. He was perplexed, however, that one of the balls in his bag started to shake. "Huh?" Out from the bag popped Lucario, extremely displeased at being captured.

 _You should NOT have done that._ The furious fighting type stated. Lucario prepared for an attack on the boy, but the ten year old threw up his hands.

"Wait! I give up! Don't hit me!" He begged. Lucario sighed.

 _What on earth is a young trainer like you doing in such a dangerous place like this?_ Luigi's companion lowered his fists of blue flame. The trainer was stunned that this aura Pokémon could telepathically speak, but he gulped, wiped the sweat off his brow, and attempted to answer the question of his interrogator.

"I came here from Pallet Town, and I've been journeying for awhile. One night, I had this weird dream, and then I woke up in a different place from where I went to sleep. I've been on the road trying to figure out what happened to me ever since…" The trainer spilled the beans. Luigi began to regain consciousness, and got up from his tackle-induced stupor. Lucario scratched his head, and extinguished the aura on his hands to appear less threatening.

 _What is your name, boy?_ Lucario asked.

"My name is Red from Pallet To- oh. Well I guess I already said that part…" Red nervously interrupted himself. Lucario turned to Luigi, who was still in the process of collecting his dizzy self.

 _Are you alright, Luigi?_ Lucario asked. Luigi shook off the daze, and he was finally seeing straight again. The Bro. nodded his head yes. _That's all well and good. I apologize for being cross with you, Red, but we need to all work together to discover why we were all brought to this place._ Red took a moment to catch onto what Lucario was suggesting, but eventually it clicked.

"You think we were all brought to this weird place for a reason?" Red wondered. Lucario nodded.

 _But first, we have to descend the tower. My aura led me here… it is likely I was meant to meet with you two. We must band together to uncover what mysteries lie ahead!_ Lucario declared. Following their new leader, Luigi and Red continued down the tower, and out into the wilds. Where they were going next, they did not know. All they had to guide them was the aura, and the whims of fate.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

 _Through the trees and the brush, two travelers climb to the top of a hill. Breezy fields of green, and mechanical carcasses…_

"What on earth are these?" Captain Toad had strayed from the trail of hoofprints supposedly left behind by Rambi, and pointed out two large metal spiders that lie smoldering on the ground near the bottom of the hill in front of them. Donkey Kong didn't know or care the answer to Toad's question, and shrugged. Captain Toad rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever say anything?"

They walked past the mechanical corpses, not paying them much mind. The sun began to set. It was clear that tracking down this Rhino would be more troublesome than it might be worth. He needed to find Toadette though… There was no way he could leave her to fend for herself on this planet.

Toad and Donkey Kong trudged up another large hill. This would likely be the last bit of ground they were going to cover before they would have to find some shelter for the nighttime. When the two reached the top, a million thoughts ran through the fungi's mind.

"Oh." He muttered. "Oh my." Donkey Kong's eyes lit up as he witnessed a huge castle just over the last few yards of green. A handful of mushroom houses lined the road leading up to the magnificent edifice; all of this was encased in a perimeter wall that kept all inside safe. Rambi's tracks lead up to the gate, but then they abruptly ended. Toad soldiers stopped them at the front entrance.

"Halt! Those who enter the Princess Toadstool's Castle must prove they are no threat to the Mushroom Kingdom!" One of the Toad soldiers spouted.

"Can't you see through that big helmet of yours? I'm a Toad, just like you!" Captain Toad protested. The Toad soldier silently accepted that the Captain was of the same species as he, but then turned to DK.

"If he's a Toad, then what on earth are you?" The soldier questioned. Donkey Kong gave him an inquisitive glance, seeming to not fully understand the point of the interrogation. Captain Toad delivered his palm to his own face in disbelief at this soldier's incessant questioning. Security sure had gotten tighter since he'd been at Peach's Castle.

"His name is Donkey Kong, and he lives in the jungle north of here." Captain Toad tried to clarify. "That's where we both came from."

"Is that some poor attempt to trick me? There _are_ no jungles near here. This is the Mushroom Kingdom: nothing more than green rolling hills as far as the eye can see" The soldier affirmed his own ignorance. Captain Toad squinted his eyes in disapproval.

"Well this isn't my home planet; you know, where the Mushroom Kingdom actually is! I don't know how Princess Peach's Castle got here!" Captain Toad fumed with anger. The Toad soldier took his extensive knowledge of the Mushroom Kingdom as proof that neither he or DK were a threat. Upon entering the Capital, he and the great ape headed straight for the castle, where they met with Toadsworth, Princess Peach's chief advisor and friend, at the door.

"Oh goodness me! A familiar face!" The mushroom butler joyfully proclaimed, running to greet the visitors at the front door of the castle. "Welcome, fellow Toad! And… oh. Giant monkey?" Toadsworth was taken aback by Donkey Kong and his rather unsettling size. Captain Toad waved his hand in dismissal.

"He's with me." The Captain said. Toadsworth cautiously nodded, and invited Toad on a tour of the throne room while keeping his eye on the ape. "So you don't remember how Peach's Castle got here?"

"None of us have any idea how it happened. Most of the guards don't really understand what's going on, and they just think the change of venue is due to a windstorm." Toadsworth told him. "But as you and I both know, something is very wrong. Most of our kind isn't quite as sharp as I'd like to admit, but thank goodness for the brainier among us to notice these things." Donkey Kong was ogling at the furnished room with carpets and fancy portraits on the walls. It was as if he'd never been inside a true structure before… at least one that wasn't made of crude wood.

"Has anyone come in over the past few days?" Toad asked, hoping the Princess's butler would know where his friend was. Toadsworth opened his mouth to answer, but the sky outside lit up unnaturally, startling everyone in the vicinity. All three of them looked to the window to see what seemed like a falling star, that had just entered the atmosphere, rocketing to the ground. "What on earth…" Toadsworth muttered to himself. The possible-meteorite landed with a loud thud near to the castle.

"Perhaps we can speak of these matters later. I'm nearly certain these cowardly Toad soldiers won't investigate this unidentified object… Is there any way you and your pet will go to see what this is?" Toadsworth requested. DK bared his teeth at being called a pet, and Toad sighed.

"Whaddaya say, Donkey Kong, want to go check it out? At least to make sure it won't kill us later." Captain Toad asked, somewhat rhetorically due to the fact that DK wasn't the most talkative. Donkey Kong nodded, and the Captain led the way.

MOMENTS EARLIER - SPACE

"I'm getting a visual of an unidentified orange craft, do you copy?" Fox reported into his radio.

"Of course I copy, I'm the only one here with you; It's right in front of us!" Falco replied, annoyed at Fox's insistence on going by the books.

"Whatever, what do you think it is?" Fox asked, trying to get a better angle to inspect the orange ship.

"It looks like a crashed spaceship. No survivors. Time to get a move on! This weird planet is giving me the creeps." Falco demanded, pushing the throttle full speed ahead. Fox scratched his chin. The craft seemed like it wrecked under extreme conditions. It had been nearly ripped in half by something… definitely not anything that could happen due to most of the usual reasons for a crash. It had to have been a different outside force that damaged it so. The question was, in fact, was the culprit of this crime still around?

Falco continued pressing the thrusters forward. His Arwing moved nearly out of radio range when he stopped, and turned to the side.

"Fox! What are you doing?" The birdman asked, expecting a really good reason for why they were sticking around so long. Fox didn't answer, but he moved in closer to the orange ship. As his visual became clearer and clearer, he noticed more detail that seemed quite bizarre. Huge jagged claws must've been what had wrecked the ship. The evidence was overwhelming. The marks were unmistakable; unable to be confused for an asteroid or other mundane causes. "Fox! Are you listening?" If he could only get a better look at what was inside… "Fox!" The Star Fox captain growled as he started to get annoyed with his avian ally. He just wanted to make sure they weren't missing the opportunity to help someone in need! There still could be survivors, and Falco was just being a jerk. "Fox! Help! I need hel-" Falco's radio went offline.

"Hello? Falco?" Fox suddenly realized he'd been too absorbed in the orange ship that he wasn't looking out for his team member, and that's when he saw it. Terrible claws, razor sharp wings, teeth like sawblades, and eyes like the sinister heart of a black hole: all bound together by the malignancy of the devil himself. It was a dragon… The monster pursued Falco throughout interstellar space. The skilled pilot dodged and maneuvered away from the winged demon, but he couldn't do that forever. Fox twisted his control wheel towards the danger as to face it head on, but he was stopped by the most peculiar sight.

An orange hand desperately clasped at Fox's ship from the damaged vessel. A tall and muscular orange-clad armored man slowly climbed out onto the hood of his vehicle. Fox was speechless. He nodded at Fox, seeing the pilot sitting in his cockpit. McCloud took this as a sign he was a friend; he didn't have the luxury to assume otherwise. The armored man motioned for him to move towards the dragon. Normally he wouldn't take orders from ransom orange people that crawled onto his Arwing, but desperate times called for all of us to make concessions.

The Arwing launched from its standstill to top speed. Fox flew towards the fearsome dragon, firing energy bolts to and fro. The armored man stood firmly on his hood as he readied his arm cannon for the impending faceoff. At last, one of the haphazardly aimed shots hit the dragon in the wing. The purple beast acted as though it were shrieking, but the vacuum of space muffled its painful turned to Fox's position, and finally let Falco alone. It zig-zagged across the stars with unpredictable flight patterns. Neither Fox nor his targeting systems could catch it. Falco attempted to aid him, but he was too far away to help. Fox's heart beat out of his chest; this could be how he died.

The armored man detached from the Arwing, floating purposefully adrift among the cosmos, and coldly pointed his arm cannon at the dragon. With a magnitude of unparalleled scale, he blasted his worst at the monster. It formed a huge and terrifying pillar of energy emerging from the man's small yet potent weapon. Fox and Falco were amazed, but it wasn't long before they were pushed away from the scene by a gargantuan shock wave. The purple dragon took the full force of the continuous ray of pure power. In a blinding flash of light, the dragon was sent off into deep space, and the armored man became like a flaming projectile plummeting towards the unsuspecting planet.

PRESENT - THE PLANET

The night sky was calm once again, and all was silent. Captain Toad and Donkey Kong had tracked the fallen star to this location. When the team reached its place of landing, they peered into the colossal hole it left in its wake.

"Hello?" Toad called out into the dark crater. "Is anyone in there?" He walked in, and started to poke around. DK stayed outside to keep watch, just in case anything approached. "Helloooo?" His voice echoed out of the pit, and into the air around. Under a thick layer or dirt and displaced earth, Samus's eyes darted open. She grabbed her pistol off her belt, and backflipped behind the unknown life form.

"Don't move." She commanded. Toad put his hands up immediately.

"Wait!" Toad screeched. "I was just here to see what happened!" Samus was just about to stun the small mushroom boy, but she heard heavy footsteps behind her. She turned to see a giant bare fist barreling towards her face: the last thing she'd remember before she was knocked hopelessly unconscious. Though there were stars in the sky, the brightest among them were those Samus saw that night.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

 _Far past the breezy fields of green,_

 _a mountain range looms…_

Link grabbed the rocky ledge, and pulled himself up. He'd reached the summit. Finally: a vantage point upon which he could inspect his new environment. The night sky turned to morning, and the horizon exploded with a fiery passion of sunrise. The view was spectacular as the Goddess Hylia herself. Light was shed on the world, and a new understanding befell the Hero of the Wilds regarding this strange place.

Mount Strange, as he aptly named it, seemed to be the highest point in all of the lands he found himself in. How far away this place was from Hyrule, he did not know, for he couldn't see Death Mountain or the Hebra Peaks anywhere… perhaps he was behind the tall cliffs of the north, or maybe it was a new land entirely. Clouds covered most of his vision, but through the misty fog opposite the way he'd came, he saw a large stone structure that intrigued him greatly. A lordly spire that interrupted all around it. Among all the other natural formations he'd seen, this was the most important he'd noticed. With that, he deployed his paraglider, and set off. Wind whisked through his hair and face. The exhilaration of flying through the open air had nearly been lost on him, but this particular flight was extraordinary. His blood pumped; his chest swelled with emotion. The silence of airtime was unlike anything he'd experienced in a long time… that was until…

"Lady Palutena, wouldn't it be better t-" A voice abruptly broke his chain of freedom when he felts crashing jolt from his right. A winged boy had slammed into him, and the both began to fall. "Aaaghh! Help me!" The boy screamed as his wings lost their blue magical glow. Link's paraglider was knocked from his grasp, and dropped in a different direction from where he and the boy were heading.

Link frantically searched his bag for some sort of landing gear, but his paraglider usually did the job well enough. He grabbed a small satchel full of fruit, and emptied them out. Praying to the goddesses, he raised the empty napsack above his head, and hoped for it to catch wind. Though it was small, insignificant, and not the correct equipment for the job, Link began to slow his descent. This, obviously, wasn't going to solve his current predicament, but it would hopefully help. Meanwhile, the boy with wings wriggled and thrashed about in his free fall.

"Lady Palutena, please! I need help!" The boy screeched in fear as he continued increasing his downward speed. His cries would be drowned out by the air blowing by Link's ears, seeing as the winged boy had no parachute. The Hylian wished that he could just focus on saving himself, a feat that may still prove impossible, but this boy seemed to be receiving no aid from this 'Palutena'. He needed help. The hero pocketed his satchel, and fell into a nosedive. The boy grew ever closer as Link shifted his weight, steering himself through the whistling air, and eventually he grabbed hold of the boy's ankle. Link gained the attention of the boy, and the flightless angel turned to face his savior.

"Take this." The Hylian commanded stoically. He handed the winged boy his makeshift chute, and the angel's descent slowed. Link twisted his head to check the speed at which the ground flew towards them, but it was already too late. The surface was already upon them. A loud crash, and then all was silent and dark.

LATER…

Link opened his eyes to a void black as pitch. He knew not where or when he was. His body wouldn't move when he told it to with the exception of his ever-darting eyes. The winged boy was nowhere to be found, and it was eerily quiet. Out of nowhere, a giant plume of fire emerged from the floor, and it filled Link's eyes and lungs with smoke. One after another, the spheres of pure blistering heat floated upward; surrounding him. They seemed to be endlessly rising from whatever hellish dimension they hailed from. These gaseous bodies of flame spiraled into a fiery swirl, and continued to rapidly spin. Soon they fused; becoming great pillars of fire. The awesome entities danced madly throughout the void. The blazing threat consumed the Hylian. Link saw nothing but their immaculate yet terrible light. He thought he may lose his battle with remaining conscious due to the impending devastation. The scorching temperatures continued to soar as high as the feeling of dread and hopelessness in his mind. There was no way he could fight this unknown horror. Slowly but surely, Link's vision subsided, and he began to be enveloped in searing and unyielding fire.

"Hey!" A high pitched voice called. Link fought to stay awake in the impossible odds. "Wake up!" With all his will, he repeated one thought over and over again. In the damaged chamber that was his mind, he constantly conjured the singular word that would hopefully return a cool and loving light to his eyes.

 _Move!_ Link screamed in his head. _Move!_ His arm twitched. _Move!_ His knee slightly bent. _Move!_

Link sharply inhaled as he shot up. The light he'd yearned for was nowhere to be found: the thick brush of trees and branches blotted out the sun. The angel was sitting on a stump near him, and jumped with surprise when the Hylian awoke.

"Hey! Are you alright?" The boy asked. Link shook his head no, and tried to get up. His legs were most definitely bruised, and he probably broke a few insignificant bones. Though with a fall from that high up, he considered himself very lucky. Perhaps the smile of the goddesses protected him even in this strange land… "Hey I'm talking to you!" Link squinted in annoyance at the boy's insistence that he spoke with him. "Oh… right… I'm sorry, that was rude. Thank you for lending me that napsack of yours." Link, using his sword as a cane, made his way over to the angel, and grabbed his bag. "I'm Pit, by the way…" The boy notified.

"Interesting name." Link remarked.

"And my name is Palutena." A confident female voice stated from an unseen location. The hero, startled, swung his sword behind him. Pit jumped back.

"What the-!" The boy exclaimed. Link winced in pain as he had, in his instinctive motion, furthered his injury. He collapsed onto the forest floor. "This guy is weird, Lady Palutena, but I kind of like him. He reminds me of Magnus a little." Pit chuckled as he commented. Link growled, utterly displeased.

"Just because you know one guy with a sword doesn't mean you know every swordsman, Pit. How are you feeling, Link?" Palutena asked. Link's eyes sweeped the area, but he still couldn't find who was talking. "Ah yes, they must not have telepathy in Hyrule. I'm communicating to you through thoughts, I'm not actually here." She explained. Link had heard a lot of strange things in his time, but that shred of information had to be one of the most off putting.

It took him a moment, but Link came to a startling realization as Pit helped him up. He'd seen these woods before… in a totally different place. The place was all wrong, but the twisted branches were unmistakable. It would just be another mystery to unravel. They were the Lost Woods. The Hylian grew evermore intrigued by this strange world.

"I recognize this place." Link uttered, limping past the angel.

"Watch out!" Pit yelled, diving into Link. The downed warrior watched idly as a white cutting beam flew directly by his face. If the angel hadn't acted so quickly, he would've surely been severely injured. Pit snapped his blades together to become a bow, and readied a blue arrow of light. The white beam had created a clear path to the shooter, whose eyes glowed red. Link turned his head to see his assailant, and couldn't believe what he witnessed.

 _It's… Me!_ He realized. A shorter and much feistier Link ran through the cleared path towards Pit, who fired his arrow straight at the enemy. With extreme speed and ferocity, the other Link hopped out of the way before jumping at the angel for a slash. Pit had taken a hit to the arm, but he could still fight.

"Gah!" Pit exclaimed, breaking apart his bow to take pot shots at the quick enemy. Link hobbled over to one of his bags that had gone astray in the fall while the angel held this other Link at bay. The small and agile fairy boy swung his short blade with speed, and Pit was barely dodging. "Lady Palutena! Can you do anything?"

"This one is strong, and a dark magic presided over his mind… I'm sorry, Pit. I can't help you until the power of flight recharges." Her voice sounded through both Link and Pit's minds. The mind-controlled Link slashed in three different directions, shooting beams of white energy towards Pit. The angel's heart pumped fiercely as he dove into the ground. The beams whizzed by, cutting the tall grass they fought in. Before Pit could return to his feet, he felt a cold and thin metal on the back of his neck.

"Oh no… please mister small Link… please don't kill me. I'll do whatever you want, I'll-" Pit's pleading was interrupted by an explosive projectile hitting the miniature swordsman. The angel looked up to see Link standing there with a bow in hand. The younger Link had gotten thrown back into the woods, out of sight for the time being.

"Pit! The power of flight is ready!" Palutena notified. Link and Pit looked at each other, both having heard the goddess's words. Without any spoken communication, the angel ran at Link, and grabbed him by the arm.

"Here we go!" Pit shouted. His wings were filled with a potent blue energy, and they began to lift off. Before young Link could get back up to retaliate, the two were gone. Up into the clouds, and far away from any sort of grounded danger.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

 _Two humans and an aura-sensitive jackal walk down the road…_

"So how did you learn to talk?" Red asked, stretching as they walked down the dirt path. Lucario shrugged.

 _I suppose I learned the same way you did—picking it up from others._ The Pokémon replied. Luigi shook his head in confusion.

"Yeah, that doesn't make much sense. Why can't my Charizard talk? Like, if you just learned naturally, why don't other Pokémon speak?" The trainer asked again.

 _Well, your Pokémon do speak. They repeat their own name over and over. There are varying levels of intelligence between Pokémon._ Lucario explained. Luigi silently accepted this, but Red still didn't get it.

"No, but that's like a really big gap in between your guys' abilities. You're not even a psychic type. How do you talk to us telepathically?" Red persisted. The Pokémon rubbed his temples.

 _Listen, I can talk. That's what's important. If you want to argue over this instead of the issue at hand, then we can, but I think that it's extremely foolish to waste time talking about thi-_

"Yoo-hoo!" Luigi sounded, trying to catch their attention.

"What?" Red responded. Before too long, they all knew what the plumber was reacting to. Small houses dotted the horizon, indicating a town lied at the end of this road. Lucario and Red put aside their current conversation, and pressed on.

When they reached the village, it was easy to see that every inhabitant was absent. There simply was no one around, but Red recognized this place.

"Hey… wait a minute… This is Lavender Town!" He realized. Lucario inspected his surroundings.

 _Yes… I have also been here. When I traveled to Kanto after training in the mountains of Sinnoh, this was among the first places that I visited. It is notorious for harboring great spiritual significance._ Lucario noted. Luigi scratched his head, not quite sure what to make of his friend's observation. _In other words, people say that it's haunted._

"Whaaaa?" Luigi gasped. Red chuckled nervously.

"He's joking. There are only ghost type Pokémon; no such thing as real ghosts." The boy played down. Lucario gave him a steely stare. Red frowned. "Right?"

 _Restless souls are rare, but are as real as you and me. Nonetheless, the dead are of little consequence to us._ The Pokémon remarked. Red and Luigi we're shivering in their boots. Lucario looked off in the distance, and saw the sun dipping down below the horizon. _It appears we're going to be staying here tonight; try to control yourselves._

The three found themselves looking for a place to stay the night, and they settled upon the local Pokémon Center. When they got inside, Luigi headed to the bunking area to find a good spot. Lucario and Red stood at the counter.

 _Do you have any pokédollars?_ Lucario asked. Red sifted through his pockets, and revealed 20 pokédollars. _Good, leave it on the counter._ Red was confused.

"Why would I do that?" He asked.

 _We have to pay for the rooms we're staying in._ Lucario told him.

"That sounds like a waste of money. There's nobody here!" Red yelled. His voice echoed through the barren streets of Lavender Town, affirming his point. Lucario growled.

 _It's dishonest to stay in rooms without paying for them! Regardless of if people are here or not. It's not like there won't be anyone here forever!_ The Pokémon dug into the young trainer. Red began to break down.

"How do you even know people will come back?" He questioned, tears forming in his eyes. Lucario ceased his anger. He saw that the boy was truly troubled at the situation. It reminded him of how lost he'd been when he first woke up here… but now things were different. He'd met Luigi, and then Red. Friendly faces made everything easier to bear. They had to have hope that they could all return to their worlds. If they didn't have hope, what could they do?

Without anymore arguing, Red left the 20 pokédollars on the counter. He and Lucario walked back, and picked out their rooms.

LATER...

The sun had gone down, and all was mostly silent. Luigi lied awake at night, cowering quietly. All that talk about ghosts and ghouls earlier had certainly ruined his night's sleep. The Pokécenter, though comforting in its outward demeanor, creeped and crawled like the best of them. The Bro knew he wasn't going to get any shut-eye, but he was too scared to go find aid for his sleeplessness. If he could find some sleep powder, he'd be out like a light, but the risk was far too great compared to the reward. What if there were ghosts out there in the dark?

Suddenly, a knocking at the door startled the poor plumber. It was frantic, and demanded entry into his room. Luigi didn't dare move, but he couldn't help peak his eye out from under the blanket. The only virtue he had in more abundance than fear was curiosity. The knocking continued, sending more chills down his spine. Still, he did not answer the door. Whoever was on the other side seemed to be getting frustrated, and something was going to give. Without proper warning, the outside entity started slamming into the door repeatedly.

"Waaah!" Luigi startled, rocking himself in place. The intruder was getting increasingly closer to breaching the door, and the Bro was becoming increasingly more likely to run for the hills. _If only Mario were here, he'd know what to do…_

Suddenly, the only thing stopping the interloper from getting in flung open. In the doorway, a shadowy figure stood. Luigi's eyes widened. It seemed so familiar. Upon the figure's head was a cap, and on his face was a moustache.

"...M-m-m… Mario?" The Green Bro questioned in the dark. Before he got out of his bed to greet who he thought was his brother, the figure demonstrated its foreign nature. It opened its eyes, and revealed the glaring red glow that haunted many dreams. Luigi, half way out of bed, stopped in his tracks. This was definitely not Mario.

The false Bro stepped into the room, and the green coward crumbled under his own fear. It was a good thing he hadn't drank water before bed, because it would've found its way into his trousers right about now. With each unnerving footstep, Luigi's heart sank further.

"Luigi! Hit the deck!" Red shouted. The plumber knew not where his ally's voice came from, nor why he instructed him to do so, but without hesitation, his legs gave out, and he fell to the floor. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

From behind, the window began to light up. Immense heat filled the room, and then the glass shattered. Luigi closed his eyes to avoid getting cut, but after a moment, he looked up to see a constant stream of searing flame knocking the Dark Mario back to the doorway. Red emerged from the hallway in his nightclothes.

"Good job, Charizard! Finish it up with a Flare Blitz!" Red yelled. Luigi felt the immediate need to move out of the way. He jumped back on the bed, and wrapped himself back up in his blanket.

A giant orange dragon burst through the wall in a fiery rage, heading straight for the false Mario. In a blur of perfection that only the true jumpman could pull off, the downed Dark Mario gracefully ducked out of the way of Charizard's attack. Without a target, the dragon smashed into the wall. It must've taken a toll, because the Pokémon didn't get back up. Red panicked, and took out two pokéballs. With the first, he returned Charizard to his ball.

"Uhh… sorry about that, buddy… Squirtle, I choose you!" Red exclaimed, throwing the second ball. From it emerged the blue koopa that Red had attacked Luigi with at the tower, a familiar face, but not a very pleasant memory for Luigi. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

The small creature threw back its head as it collected water in its mouth, and prepared for his attack. Dark Mario noticed this, and equipped his F.L.U.D.D. Squirtle released his aqueous blast, and the nefarious Bro countered with his own. Little ground was gained on either side. Red stood confused.

"Alright then… Squirtle, use Withdraw!" Red announced, pointing his finger at Mario. The turtle lodged itself back into its shell, and began to speed towards Dark Mario. Taking into account that this… thing… had the reflexes and powers of the real Mario, what it did next wasn't too much of a surprise for someone who was familiar with the famous plumber. With reflexes as fast as light, he jumped onto Squirtle in his shell, and sent the pokémon swirling back in Red's direction just like a koopa shell.

"Oh no..." He uttered before diving out of the way. Squirtle kept going at full speed until he crashed into the wall at the end of the hallway. Red looked back at Dark Mario, and took out his last pokémon. "Bulbasaur! Help!" When the luminescent beam was faded after Bulbasaur came out, the sturdy creature was lying on the floor, fast asleep. "Wow, this is bad."

The evil Mario menacingly stepped closer to the now defenseless Pokémon Trainer. Red frantically searched his person for something to combat the frightening plumber, but he had nothing. He was at Mario's mercy.

A tall slender shadow appeared behind Mario, and it crept up until it was breathing down his neck. The Bro didn't have a chance to turn around before blue furry arms grabbed his head suddenly. It was Lucario. He held Mario in a choke hold, and he used his aura power to keep him in check. Mario opened his mouth, and he let our a terrible screech in response to the aura energy. Luigi covered his ears, and desperately waited for this encounter to be over. After a while, the unnatural sound coming out of his brother lessened, and it started to cease completely. Finally, Mario's red glowing eyes went back to their normal blue selves.

"Mamma Mia, what happened?" Mario suddenly asked, squirming in Lucario's hold. The Pokémon let him go, but kept his readied paw trained on his head.

 _No less than a minute ago, you were a dark creature that I couldn't even sense a life sign in. Some explaining is in order._

"Mario?" Luigi asked, getting out of his bed. The red Bro turned to see his cowering counterpart in the busted up bedroom.

"Luigi!" Mario exclaimed. Ignoring Lucario's threats, he ran over to see his brother, and gave him a hug. The familial embrace radiated peace throughout the room, and the fighting type put down his arms.

 _That explaining can be done later. For now, I think we should all get a good night's sleep._ Lucario instructed. Red, his heart still thumping out of his chest from the traumatic incident, gave his partner a worried look.

"We're just gonna forget about that? No way!" Red protested. "We need to at least lock him up somewhere tonight!"

 _That won't be necessar-_

"I can stay in the basement if it makes you two feel better." Mario remarked, stepping away from his brother. Red and Lucario stood, waiting to see what their, hopefully rehabilitated, ally would say. "I'm not stupid. I can see that something was amiss." The plumber pinched his own arm. "It seems that I'm not dreaming, so obviously this isn't normal."

 _When I used my aura to pacify you, I saw things… Things I would very much like your input on._ Lucario stated.

"We can talk about that in the morning." Mario replied, standing firm in his decision. Luigi didn't object. He loved his brother, but what happened scared him. It was probably a good idea to be cautious.

"I'll take him down." Red decided unilaterally. Everyone looked at him.

 _I think Luigi should be the one to take him._ Lucario countered. Red could've went on arguing, but he read the room/ Everyone was exhausted, and Mario _was_ Luigi's brother after all.

DOWN THE STAIRS…

"I'll be ok, Bro, it's just for one night." Mario calmed, Luigi's lip was quivering. "Don't worry, everything will turn out just fine."

Luigi locked the door, and sighed. What a strange world he lived in: his own brother was a possible threat to himself and everyone around him to no fault of his own… it left a bad taste in the mouth. Hopefully they wouldn't have to do this every night…


End file.
